Baghdad rejects new UN resolutions

September 22 2002
The Sun-Herald

Iraq yesterday rejected US efforts to secure new UN resolutions threatening war, with Iraqi state-run radio announcing Baghdad will not abide by the unfavourable new resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council.

World powers have been wrangling at UN headquarters in New York over how to deal with Iraq. The United States and Britain are trying to overcome resistance from Russia, China and France to issuing a new UN resolution threatening Iraq with war if it does not destroy stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction.

The Iraqi radio announcement said the decision was made during a meeting involving President Saddam Hussein, Vice-President Taha Yassin Ramadan and other senior Iraqi officials. It did not say when the meeting took place.

"The American officials are trying, according to the media, to issue new, bad resolutions from the Security Council. Iraq declares it will not deal with any new resolution that contradicts what has been agreed upon with the UN Secretary General," the brief announcement said.

Iraq's agreement with any Security Council resolution that ultimately may be passed is not necessary for it to be enforced.");document.write("

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Under growing international pressure and to avoid a possible US invasion, Iraq announced Monday it would accept the unconditional return of international weapons inspectors nearly four years after they left. Under past resolutions, UN inspectors must verify Iraq has destroyed all its weapons of mass destruction.

The United States, which is seeking UN backing for whatever course of action it should take, said the Iraqi decision to allow inspectors to return was designed to divide the Security Council. US President George W Bush has dismissed it as a ploy and has not ruled out unilateral American military action.

US General Tommy Franks, speaking yesterday in Kuwait, said US soldiers were increasingly training with forces from its Gulf allies and were ready to act against Iraq if called upon.

Bush has appealed directly to a reluctant Russian President Vladimir Putin to back a new UN Security Council resolution threatening Iraq with war.

Russia hasn't ruled out compromise. However, despite good relations with the United States, Russia held to its view that threats should be deferred at least until UN weapons inspectors take up Saddam's offer to resume work.

Tough UN economic sanctions were imposed on Iraq after its 1990 invasion of Kuwait and they cannot be lifted unless the UN weapons inspectors verify that Iraq has dismantled its weapons of mass destruction.

UN chief inspector Hans Blix said yesterday he expected an advance team of inspectors to be in Iraq by October 15, and some early inspections could be carried out soon afterward.

In Baghdad, the official al-Jumhuria newspaper criticised Bush for seeking congressional approval to use military force against Iraq, branding it "a move that exposes the evil and aggressive US plans to target Iraq regardless of the inspection issue".

Bush has asked Congress for the authority to act as he sees fit against Iraq, citing a "high risk" Iraq would use weapons of mass destruction or turn them over to terrorists.